This week Pastor Josh continues our Contested Marriage series by looking at the contest between grace and bitterness in marriage from Matthew 18:21-25.
- Grace is critical for a marriage. Love alone will not be enough; there has to be the practice of grace.
- Jesus calls us to a grace that is abundant, properly timed, and from the heart.
- We can choose bitterness instead, but that defiles the relationship.
- We can be gracious with one another when we truly receive the grace upon grace we have in Jesus. We can give to others what we get from Him.
- Romans 15:5-7
COMMUNITY GROUP QUESTIONS:
- This week Pastor Josh started off by talking about the critical need for grace in relationships. Love is critical as well, but not enough when sin comes into the picture. How have you seen “felt love” fade in a relationship? How did you make it through that?
- The grace Jesus calls us to is abundant. It is also given before we confront one another with sin, which is important to make sure our confrontation isn’t really a disguised revenge. How are you tempted to make confrontation of someone’s sin into something that is vengeful? Why is it important we forgive someone before we confront them?
- The opposite of grace is bitterness. Bitterness is appealing because it can get us what we want, if what we want is ultimately about ourselves. How have you felt bitterness spoil a relationship? How did that relationship recover from bitterness?
- We can only give the grace we receive. When we sense the fullness of Jesus’s grace we can be ready to extend it to others. How have you experienced the gospel making you a more gracious person? How has the grace you’ve received helped you stay gracious?